AWARE, the partner school of Bobergsgymnasiet, is situated in the rural village of Torpshammar in the north of Sweden. The school combines both academic and practical education, focussing on a specialised fire fighting and rescue programme, as well as delivering a standard education. Students study for two days in the week at Bobergsgymnasiet, and the rest of their time is spent at the school in Torpshammar. However, students at AWARE experience a very different education to those at their partner school, Bobergsgymnasiet, and this is down to both the environment in which they learn and their specialised practical subjects. Students travel from all over Sweden to study here – living with one another in student accommodation – meaning students learn to adapt and grow as individuals. One of the English teachers at the school, Nils-Olov Hagman, stated:
“To put it briefly, they come as children and leave as adults.” This is what makes the learning and living experiences which these students experience so interesting; their experience is truly unique, creating a very endearing learning environment.
What makes the Learning Environment at AWARE so special?
Students Taking Part in an Abseiling Test, with a School Ambulance in the Foreground
There are two aspects of the Learning Environment in a school, which help to enhance a students learning.
Concrete – the physical environment, which makes up the school.
Abstract – the philosophy, attitude and atmosphere created by both the staff and students at a school.
At AWARE both of these are very unique to the school, and are major contributors to the personalisation of learning for students. Due to this the team decided to take an in-depth research approach to the Learning Environment at AWARE.
Abstract Learning Environment
As well as the physical environment, which makes up the school, there are also a number of key abstract
aspects, which help to create the special school at AWARE. These include ideas, the atmosphere and the attitude brought by the staff.
Firstly, the most noticeable of the abstract learning environment is the relationships between teachers and students. It is common practice in Sweden for teacher’s first names to be known and used by students, as well as some nicknames. This in itself helps to create a relaxed atmosphere in which students and teachers are on the same level, helping one another along the learning process. It is something that is not used in other countries, as some feel it may undermine the teacher’s level of authority. However we observed a mutual respect in Sweden, where students showed maturity and feel that their teachers are friends, as apposed to someone they cannot talk to. This atmosphere allows students to feel comfortable in an environment that they enjoy learning in and do not feel that going to school is a “pain in the back”.
As well as interviewing current staff and students, we also got the opportunity to interview some ex-students from AWARE. They were really helpful in reinforcing the family attitude, which is instilled into the school in Torpshammar. One of the ex-students summed up this feeling by saying that:
“It was a very informal attitude here and it was really cosy. And everybody knew the teachers well and everybody knew almost everyone. So it was actually fun here most of the time.” Another of the abstract concepts which AWARE has adopted is the idea of inclusion. Inclusion is an important aspect of any school, however the school at AWARE really excels in enforcing this idea. All students at AWARE feel that they are part of a large family. This is made possible due to the small size of the school and also the dedication of both staff and students to make the school an inclusive environment. There is a dedicated member of staff for students with additional support needs, as one of AWARE’s agreements with the government is to accept a certain number of students with additional needs. Nil’s Olov Hagman recalled one example where the inclusive approach has been shown at the school:
“One boy, for instance, before he came to us he had never been in a normal classroom. Only in small groups of maximum 5… now we and his friends help. There is a certain amount of peer involvement.” This is backed up by the views of the students, who feel that they all grow together and if someone is struggling then they will receive support from the school. This approach allows students to feel secure in their learning, allowing them to reach their full potential. One student stated that:
“One of the good things about this school is that because there are so few students the teachers see the people that are falling through the cracks. It’s much easier and they can help them more.” The final, but one of the most crucial parts of the abstract learning environment is a student’s personality, confidence and background. At AWARE the students appear very focussed on what they want to gain from their learning, and therefore are approaching learning with the correct mentality. However, this is not always the case, as some students do not study without the influence from the parents at home. It can be seen that if students at AWARE do not have the correct mentality towards learning then it could be easy for them to fall behind studying at home. One student mentioned that:
“The parents get an important role to motivate the children to do stuff because the school won’t be successful in that.” This quote shows the importance of parental involvement in learning, if there is no motivation from home then students are less likely to succeed. However, staff at AWARE are very enthusiastic and caring about all of their students. One teacher at the school, Helene Fagerstrand, outlined the importance of a pupil’s personality on their learning:
“I think that affects very much, because their background have a lot to do with their self esteem and self ethicise. Also if they come from an academic background, then they might have high expectations from their parents, it can be a good thing, but it can also be quite stressful and of course that affects them.”
Concrete Learning Environment
There are a number of factors within the Concrete Learning Environment at AWARE which contribute to enhancing the students learning. Not only do students go to school and learn from one another, they also live together. This is a huge part of the learning experience that students gain from their school life here. Students travel from all over Sweden to study Fire fighting and Rescue at AWARE – from the very rural north, to the busy southern cities of Gothenburg and Stockholm. Students can travel well over 500km to study here, and so student accommodation has to be provided for these students.
When asked: “What do you like most about AWARE?” many students found it hard to pinpoint a single factor, however living with other students was one of the most common answers.
“That’s a difficult one because there are so many factors that make it special. People all over Sweden living together like a big family and taking care of each other, all the special practical subjects and also the teachers and their dedication” AWARE Student
Hagmans Gränd - or "Hagmans Alley"
As well as students living and learning together, the physical environment of the school at AWARE is one, which creates a home-like atmosphere; it is not a standard school. The classrooms take the form of small huts; corridors are streets, which adopt thename of the teachers in the school; and there is a central area where students can relax, chat and study together. The design of the school encourages an informal but meaningful learning experience for all of those involved.
Not all of the learning at AWARE is done within the classroom, however. It could be argued that this is one of the main positives at AWARE, as students are able to study in environments most wouldn’t have the chance. The students carry out practical studies every term, and this is done outwith the class. The school have three fire engines as well as two ambulances, which they can use for this practical studying. This creates an air of variety in learning and the learning environment changes dramatically, with many students pointing out that this is one of their favourite aspects of AWARE.
Negative Aspects of the Learning Environment
Not all students at AWARE have the same experience at the school. Studying at AWARE requires a certain level of maturity and responsibility, you are uprooting from normal life to live and study in a completely new environment from the age of 15. This can sometimes prove too much for some students and they are unable to continue their study here. It could be easy to see that in some instances the social life at AWARE could outweigh the academical part of the school and students may lose focus on their education. An ex-student touched on this issue, saying that:
“Not many people were really interested in studying and I think that it’s been the case even before we came.” Another issue raised by students was the fact that they have to study for two days a week at their partner school, Bobergsgymnasiet, in Ånge. Students do not feel comfortable going to Bobergsgymnasiet as they do not feel part of the school, but feel as if they are a separate group. Students often refer to Mondays and Wednesdays, which are spent at their partner school, as “Bobergs sickness” days. When asked if they could change anything about their education students gave the responses:
“Less days in Bobergs[gymnasiet] to prevent Bobergs sickness.”
“In Bobergs[gymnasiet] it is a bigger school and so we have less confidence there.” Students feel that they do not gain anything from studying for two days a week at Bobergsgymnasiet, however this is necessary as some lessons and teachers are only based at this school. Also there is political uncertainty concerning the future of AWARE and so students must study at Bobergsgymnasiet as some classes are unavailable in Torpshammar.
Practical Learning at AWARE
Throughout the academic year students at AWARE study their special subjects, which could include some of the following:
Students taking part in Biohazard Training
Fire fighting
Search and Rescue
Medicine
In class students are able to base their study around the theory behind these subjects – researching and learning how to survive in the wilderness, for example.
For one week in the term students also get the chance to take part in special “Profile weeks”. These profile weeks make up the practical learning, which proves the main attraction to the school for many students. In these profile week’s students can be practice or be tested on a number of activities, such as: climbing and abseiling, timberwork and also fire fighting.
The group were lucky enough to observe a number of these tests, where instructors would examine the skills, which they had learned throughout the year. One of these instructors was a part-time fireman, which was a good example of where examiners with outside experience can be beneficial to students learning. He outlined the importance for these students carrying out practical tests by stating that:
“In the rescue part, where I am an instructor I think we’re the closest to get an exam in real fire and rescue education.” Students also expressed how important they feel the practical side of their education for their future in these career paths. When asked, after their tests, one student stated that:
“I like all the practical [work] we do, not just sit around and read books, we actually do what we read. We use the chainsaws, put out fires, climb and things like that. It’s the most fun, it’s what keeps you up at school.” From our research outwith AWARE we have found that students feel that they learn best when they are interested in and enjoy the topics that they are studying. This is certainly the case at AWARE, added to this the students who study here feel that combining academic and practical studies really enhances their learning, students here receive a highly personalised learning experience.
Coordinator of the school, Kjel Grips, feels that the practical learning at AWARE is what makes this school so special. It’s what he feels really makes AWARE stand out from the crowd when it comes to education in Sweden. He feels that the needs of students that are not so academical are met at AWARE and therefore meeting the needs of these students. When asked: In what ways can AWARE meet the needs of students compared to other programmes? He responded:
“They say: ‘I want a theoretical programme, but I don’t want to sit three years on the same chair in a classroom and listen to a teacher, I want to do something with my hands and find a programme that finds a combination between theoretical and practical.’”
How is this made possible?
A number of businesses contribute to the school at AWARE, as well as Swedish government, in order to make these specialised programmes available at AWARE. The education at AWARE is bought from specialised medicine and rescue companies, who offer their expertise and knowledge to the school. This not only benefits the students at the school, as they gain access to people within these professions, but also to the local companies. Coordinator and teacher at the school, Kjel Grips, outlined how important he feels the contribution of outside companies to the school is:
“We buy approximately about 30% of the total education from companies, especially today medicine. We don’t have the knowledge, profession and resources to make all of this by ourselves. We need to coordinate and cooperate with outside companies...It is a very important part of the programme.” Strong Partnerships Beyond the classroom is one of the core components identified by the team in allowing a Personalised Learning approach to be adopted. The learning of those students at AWARE is enriched by this vast input given by outside Rescue and Medical businesses. Students not only gain an education in these specialised subjects, buta re also able to put the theory they learn in the classroom into practice.
Conclusion
To conclude, the research we carried out at AWARE threw up some very interesting examples of Learning Environment and Practical Learning at a high school level.
At AWARE the following can be observed of the Learning Environment:
Relaxed atmosphere
Good student/teacher relationships
Inclusion of everyone at the school
Unique classroom environments
Outside learning is important for variety
The staff have also worked tremendously hard to strike a winning combination of both academic and practical studies at AWARE. For students who are interested in pursuing a career Fire Fighting, Search and Rescue or Medicine it is a perfectly personalised education. Students are able to study the theoretical part of these specialised subjects and then put this work into practice in life-like situations, which can only help to enhance the work done in the classroom.
“All in all it was a great education and I also learnt so many other things I wouldn’t have learnt in other school mostly about myself and other people.” Ex AWARE student
Below is a video on the topic of practical learning in the AWARE programme.
- AWARE, Bobergsgymnasiet
AWARE, the partner school of Bobergsgymnasiet, is situated in the rural village of Torpshammar in the north of Sweden. The school combines both academic and practical education, focussing on a specialised fire fighting and rescue programme, as well as delivering a standard education. Students study for two days in the week at Bobergsgymnasiet, and the rest of their time is spent at the school in Torpshammar. However, students at AWARE experience a very different education to those at their partner school, Bobergsgymnasiet, and this is down to both the environment in which they learn and their specialised practical subjects.
Students travel from all over Sweden to study here – living with one another in student accommodation – meaning students learn to adapt and grow as individuals. One of the English teachers at the school, Nils-Olov Hagman, stated:
“To put it briefly, they come as children and leave as adults.”
This is what makes the learning and living experiences which these students experience so interesting; their experience is truly unique, creating a very endearing learning environment.
What makes the Learning Environment at AWARE so special?
There are two aspects of the Learning Environment in a school, which help to enhance a students learning.
At AWARE both of these are very unique to the school, and are major contributors to the personalisation of learning for students. Due to this the team decided to take an in-depth research approach to the Learning Environment at AWARE.
Abstract Learning Environment
As well as the physical environment, which makes up the school, there are also a number of key abstract
aspects, which help to create the special school at AWARE. These include ideas, the atmosphere and the attitude brought by the staff.
Firstly, the most noticeable of the abstract learning environment is the relationships between teachers and students. It is common practice in Sweden for teacher’s first names to be known and used by students, as well as some nicknames. This in itself helps to create a relaxed atmosphere in which students and teachers are on the same level, helping one another along the learning process. It is something that is not used in other countries, as some feel it may undermine the teacher’s level of authority. However we observed a mutual respect in Sweden, where students showed maturity and feel that their teachers are friends, as apposed to someone they cannot talk to. This atmosphere allows students to feel comfortable in an environment that they enjoy learning in and do not feel that going to school is a “pain in the back”.
As well as interviewing current staff and students, we also got the opportunity to interview some ex-students from AWARE. They were really helpful in reinforcing the family attitude, which is instilled into the school in Torpshammar. One of the ex-students summed up this feeling by saying that:
“It was a very informal attitude here and it was really cosy. And everybody knew the teachers well and everybody knew almost everyone. So it was actually fun here most of the time.”
Another of the abstract concepts which AWARE has adopted is the idea of inclusion. Inclusion is an important aspect of any school, however the school at AWARE really excels in enforcing this idea. All students at AWARE feel that they are part of a large family. This is made possible due to the small size of the school and also the dedication of both staff and students to make the school an inclusive environment. There is a dedicated member of staff for students with additional support needs, as one of AWARE’s agreements with the government is to accept a certain number of students with additional needs. Nil’s Olov Hagman recalled one example where the inclusive approach has been shown at the school:
“One boy, for instance, before he came to us he had never been in a normal classroom. Only in small groups of maximum 5… now we and his friends help. There is a certain amount of peer involvement.”
This is backed up by the views of the students, who feel that they all grow together and if someone is struggling then they will receive support from the school. This approach allows students to feel secure in their learning, allowing them to reach their full potential. One student stated that:
“One of the good things about this school is that because there are so few students the teachers see the people that are falling through the cracks. It’s much easier and they can help them more.”
The final, but one of the most crucial parts of the abstract learning environment is a student’s personality, confidence and background. At AWARE the students appear very focussed on what they want to gain from their learning, and therefore are approaching learning with the correct mentality. However, this is not always the case, as some students do not study without the influence from the parents at home. It can be seen that if students at AWARE do not have the correct mentality towards learning then it could be easy for them to fall behind studying at home. One student mentioned that:
“The parents get an important role to motivate the children to do stuff because the school won’t be successful in that.”
This quote shows the importance of parental involvement in learning, if there is no motivation from home then students are less likely to succeed. However, staff at AWARE are very enthusiastic and caring about all of their students. One teacher at the school, Helene Fagerstrand, outlined the importance of a pupil’s personality on their learning:
“I think that affects very much, because their background have a lot to do with their self esteem and self ethicise. Also if they come from an academic background, then they might have high expectations from their parents, it can be a good thing, but it can also be quite stressful and of course that affects them.”
Concrete Learning Environment
There are a number of factors within the Concrete Learning Environment at AWARE which contribute to enhancing the students learning. Not only do students go to school and learn from one another, they also live together. This is a huge part of the learning experience that students gain from their school life here. Students travel from all over Sweden to study Fire fighting and Rescue at AWARE – from the very rural north, to the busy southern cities of Gothenburg and Stockholm. Students can travel well over 500km to study here, and so student accommodation has to be provided for these students.
When asked: “What do you like most about AWARE?” many students found it hard to pinpoint a single factor, however living with other students was one of the most common answers.
“That’s a difficult one because there are so many factors that make it special. People all over Sweden living together like a big family and taking care of each other, all the special practical subjects and also the teachers and their dedication”
AWARE Student
As well as students living and learning together, the physical environment of the school at AWARE is one, which creates a home-like atmosphere; it is not a standard school. The classrooms take the form of small huts; corridors are streets, which adopt thename of the teachers in the school; and there is a central area where students can relax, chat and study together. The design of the school encourages an informal but meaningful learning experience for all of those involved.
Not all of the learning at AWARE is done within the classroom, however. It could be argued that this is one of the main positives at AWARE, as students are able to study in environments most wouldn’t have the chance. The students carry out practical studies every term, and this is done outwith the class. The school have three fire engines as well as two ambulances, which they can use for this practical studying. This creates an air of variety in learning and the learning environment changes dramatically, with many students pointing out that this is one of their favourite aspects of AWARE.
Negative Aspects of the Learning Environment
Not all students at AWARE have the same experience at the school. Studying at AWARE requires a certain level of maturity and responsibility, you are uprooting from normal life to live and study in a completely new environment from the age of 15. This can sometimes prove too much for some students and they are unable to continue their study here. It could be easy to see that in some instances the social life at AWARE could outweigh the academical part of the school and students may lose focus on their education.
An ex-student touched on this issue, saying that:
“Not many people were really interested in studying and I think that it’s been the case even before we came.”
Another issue raised by students was the fact that they have to study for two days a week at their partner school, Bobergsgymnasiet, in Ånge. Students do not feel comfortable going to Bobergsgymnasiet as they do not feel part of the school, but feel as if they are a separate group. Students often refer to Mondays and Wednesdays, which are spent at their partner school, as “Bobergs sickness” days. When asked if they could change anything about their education students gave the responses:
“Less days in Bobergs[gymnasiet] to prevent Bobergs sickness.”
“In Bobergs[gymnasiet] it is a bigger school and so we have less confidence there.”
Students feel that they do not gain anything from studying for two days a week at Bobergsgymnasiet, however this is necessary as some lessons and teachers are only based at this school. Also there is political uncertainty concerning the future of AWARE and so students must study at Bobergsgymnasiet as some classes are unavailable in Torpshammar.
Practical Learning at AWARE
Throughout the academic year students at AWARE study their special subjects, which could include some of the
following:
- Fire fighting
- Search and Rescue
- Medicine
In class students are able to base their study around the theory behind these subjects – researching and learning how to survive in the wilderness, for example.For one week in the term students also get the chance to take part in special “Profile weeks”. These profile weeks make up the practical learning, which proves the main attraction to the school for many students. In these profile week’s students can be practice or be tested on a number of activities, such as: climbing and abseiling, timberwork and also fire fighting.
The group were lucky enough to observe a number of these tests, where instructors would examine the skills, which they had learned throughout the year. One of these instructors was a part-time fireman, which was a good example of where examiners with outside experience can be beneficial to students learning. He outlined the importance for these students carrying out practical tests by stating that:
“In the rescue part, where I am an instructor I think we’re the closest to get an exam in real fire and rescue education.”
Students also expressed how important they feel the practical side of their education for their future in these career paths. When asked, after their tests, one student stated that:
“I like all the practical [work] we do, not just sit around and read books, we actually do what we read. We use the chainsaws, put out fires, climb and things like that. It’s the most fun, it’s what keeps you up at school.”
From our research outwith AWARE we have found that students feel that they learn best when they are interested in and enjoy the topics that they are studying. This is certainly the case at AWARE, added to this the students who study here feel that combining academic and practical studies really enhances their learning, students here receive a highly personalised learning experience.
Coordinator of the school, Kjel Grips, feels that the practical learning at AWARE is what makes this school so special. It’s what he feels really makes AWARE stand out from the crowd when it comes to education in Sweden. He feels that the needs of students that are not so academical are met at AWARE and therefore meeting the needs of these students. When asked: In what ways can AWARE meet the needs of students compared to other programmes? He responded:
“They say: ‘I want a theoretical programme, but I don’t want to sit three years on the same chair in a classroom and listen to a teacher, I want to do something with my hands and find a programme that finds a combination between theoretical and practical.’”
How is this made possible?
A number of businesses contribute to the school at AWARE, as well as Swedish government, in order to make these specialised programmes available at AWARE. The education at AWARE is bought from specialised medicine and rescue companies, who offer their expertise and knowledge to the school. This not only benefits the students at the school, as they gain access to people within these professions, but also to the local companies. Coordinator and teacher at the school, Kjel Grips, outlined how important he feels the contribution of outside companies to the school is:
“We buy approximately about 30% of the total education from companies, especially today medicine. We don’t have the knowledge, profession and resources to make all of this by ourselves. We need to coordinate and cooperate with outside companies...It is a very important part of the programme.”
Strong Partnerships Beyond the classroom is one of the core components identified by the team in allowing a Personalised Learning approach to be adopted. The learning of those students at AWARE is enriched by this vast input given by outside Rescue and Medical businesses. Students not only gain an education in these specialised subjects, buta re also able to put the theory they learn in the classroom into practice.
Conclusion
To conclude, the research we carried out at AWARE threw up some very interesting examples of Learning Environment and Practical Learning at a high school level.At AWARE the following can be observed of the Learning Environment:
- Relaxed atmosphere
- Good student/teacher relationships
- Inclusion of everyone at the school
- Unique classroom environments
- Outside learning is important for variety
The staff have also worked tremendously hard to strike a winning combination of both academic and practical studies at AWARE. For students who are interested in pursuing a career Fire Fighting, Search and Rescue or Medicine it is a perfectly personalised education. Students are able to study the theoretical part of these specialised subjects and then put this work into practice in life-like situations, which can only help to enhance the work done in the classroom.“All in all it was a great education and I also learnt so many other things I wouldn’t have learnt in other school mostly about myself and other people.”
Ex AWARE student
Below is a video on the topic of practical learning in the AWARE programme.